Ball-Sellers House
Overview
For a true glimpse into how many early Virginians built their homes and lived in Colonial times, visit the Ball-Sellers House in the Glencarlyn neighborhood.
Farmer John Ball originally built a one-room log cabin on this site in the mid 18th century. John, his wife Elizabeth, and their five daughters lived in this little house.The cabin was later updated and added to as it changed hands over the years. The historic structure served as a school, summer cottage, a diary farm and a home. Today it is the oldest house in the county and a rare example of a common dwelling during the 1700s.
Managed by the Arlington Historical Society, the Ball-Sellers House is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in America. Visitors today can see the original logs with mud daubing, as well as the original plank floors. The rare oak clapboard roof is one of the roofs of its kind in the USA.
Open Saturdays, 1-4 p.m., April through October. The cabin may also be visited by appointment by calling 703-942-9247 or 703-698-5714. There is no admission fee, but donations are greatly appreciated.
The Ball-Sellers House is accessible by car. Find directions here.
